Hamza Abdelkarim earns Spanish media praise after Barcelona double

Barcelona forward Hamza Abdelkarim has been praised by the Spanish media after scoring both goals in a 2-2 draw with Birmingham City during a pre-season friendly in England.

Barcelona went on to lose 3-2 on penalties after the match finished level in normal time. Abdelkarim’s goals were Barcelona’s only scores, while Birmingham City replied through August Priske and John Solis.

The performance marked Abdelkarim’s first goals for Barcelona’s senior side since being promoted to the first-team group during their preparations for the new season.

The 18-year-old Egypt international was featured prominently by several Spanish newspapers on Sunday, with his display attracting particular attention despite Barcelona’s defeat in the shootout.

Sport placed Abdelkarim on its front page under the headline: “The Pharaoh… Hamza.”

The newspaper reported that the Egyptian striker scored twice against Birmingham City, opening the scoring from the penalty spot in the 42nd minute before adding his second goal in the 60th minute.

His second strike came after he reacted quickest to a rebound, completing a performance that made him one of the main talking points from the friendly.

Mundo Deportivo also put Abdelkarim on its front page, using the headline: “Hamza inspires optimism.”

The publication described the Egyptian as a natural goalscorer and said his two goals provided encouragement for Barcelona as he continues to make his case during pre-season.

Mundo Deportivo added that the young players selected by Barcelona manager Hansi Flick helped the team compete in an evenly matched contest. Although Barcelona eventually lost on penalties, the newspaper said the display left positive impressions.

Spanish newspaper L’Esportiu named Abdelkarim the “phenomenon of the match”, while also noting that his double was not enough to give Barcelona victory in their first friendly of their England training camp.

According to L’Esportiu, Abdelkarim won the penalty from which Barcelona scored their equaliser to make it 1-1. He then put Barcelona ahead at 2-1 by following up after the Birmingham City goalkeeper had saved the initial effort.

Abdelkarim was added to Flick’s pre-season options after returning from international duty with Egypt at the World Cup. His involvement against Birmingham City came as Barcelona continue to assess their younger players during the build-up to the season.

The match was Barcelona’s second friendly of the preparation period. They began their schedule with a 4-1 victory over Europa in a behind-closed-doors fixture.

Although Birmingham City ultimately prevailed in the penalty shootout, Abdelkarim’s two goals gave him a notable first outing with Barcelona’s first team and placed him at the centre of Spanish media coverage.